August 1st started off with a bang, didn’t it?
Ultimate team player Martín Pérez was having a completely normal day before, in a span of five hours: thinking he was going to be traded, agreeing to start on short notice with scheduled starter Reynaldo López headed for the IL, and then carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning against a very legitimate Washington offense, leading the Braves to an 8-3 win.
(Some trades also went down – buckle up as we get into the frenzy this evening/tomorrow, folks)
It feels like April instead of August – here we are on a Sunday with the Braves aiming to turn a series win into a series sweep. Except this one is of the rare four-game variety, so let’s break out the mops.
With Pérez answering the call early, JR Ritchie was scratched from his start in Gwinnett last night and has been recalled to Atlanta.
Ritchie (1-2, 4.50 ERA) came out of the bullpen in his last five outings with the big club with his last start dating back to June 23. In that July mop-up capacity, he had a 3.38 ERA and still had an issue with walks. In his last start with the Stripers on July 26, he gave up seven hits and five earned runs in four innings of work.
This will be a rematch, as Ritchie will be opposed by Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (8-4, 3.55 ERA). Cavalli has been a fairly consistent arm for the Nats and has a four-game streak of quality starts. Cavalli last faced the Braves in late April, where he surrendered seven hits in five innings, but only allowed two runs. JR Ritchie earned the win on his debut that same day by a final score of 7-2. A comfortable Braves win like that sounds nice for the Sunday matinee.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, August 2, 1:35 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: BravesVision
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
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